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It was a frenzy among industry observers when Sony bought Bungie and Xbox purchased Activision Blizzard to launch 2022. It seemed like no acquisition was possible.
Iron Galaxy seems like a great target for major platform holders in such an environment. Iron Galaxy, a prominent work-for-hire studio has worked on popular franchises, such as Uncharted, Killer Instinct, or CEO Adam Boyes, has a direct connection with PlayStation.
Iron Galaxy is happy for the moment to be independent.
“[S]Boyes told IGN that there are many doors open, and he loves it. We are independent so we can continue the freedom journey and find out what it means for our company’s values.
Boyes is a passionate game developer and was named Vice President of Publisher & Developer Relations at Sony Interactive Entertainment. He likens the current acquisition frenzy to his childhood in British Columbia where his father was a lumberjack. He says that platform owners like Sony and Microsoft are effectively cutting out the competition, which in turn creates the underbrush that will attract new studios.
Iron Galaxy, he said, is in a great position. Boyes states, “Before it was like, we must take this or that.” “We have some freedom and can work on new stuff. This is the best part.
Iron Galaxy was founded in 2008 and enjoyed early success with Bionic Commando, Bioshock 2 and Divekick. Iron Galaxy expanded to Orlando in 2012. In an effort to “fish other ponds” and attract new talent, it will open its third studio at Nashville. Iron Galaxy cofounder Dave Lang claims that the studio was “mousey”, in its early days. Chelsea Blasko, third member of Iron Galaxy’s executive triumvirate takes offense.
Boyes, Blasko and Lang form a comedy trio that riffs on each other’s comments and speaks in rapid patter about a variety topics. Boyes jokes that Blasko is the optimist, Blasko the realist, while Lang is the pessimist. Boyes joined this group after leaving SIE in 2016. He wanted to be back in active development.
Iron Galaxy has seen a lot of growth over the past decade but its executives still feel very corporate. Lang is dressed in his classic baseball cap and hoodie. Boyes wears a chin-curtain beard. They talk about Iron Galaxy’s recent growth as well as original projects like Rumbleverse. Boyes claims that Rumbleverse was delayed partly to make it more content-rich, more versatile, and more amazing.
From Left to Right: Adam Boyes and Dave Lang. Chelsea Blasko
Iron Galaxy has been busy during the pandemic. Its most recent release was Uncharted Legacy of Thieves Collection which was released on PS5 January. The group answers questions about what it was like working with NaughtyDog. They talk about how Iron Galaxy’s programmers were “envious” of NaughtyDog’s code.
“Naughty Dog is the last thing I want to be doing. Right? Lang said that looking at the code shows that there have been decades of work.
Boyes concurs, “It’s craftsmanship.”
“Yeah exactly. This is bespoke game development in an area that many aren’t. It doesn’t make the game intrinsically better or worse, but Naughty Dog is. They are truly humble in this way, which I think is my greatest appreciation.
Iron Galaxy’s recent projects include the Spyro Reignited Trilogy (which it port to PC), Diablo III and Overwatch on Nintendo Switch. Iron Galaxy’s ports and remasters are workmanlike in that they rarely add unique features — though the Legacy of Thieves Collection did add some interesting DualSense functionality — but generally run well. Iron Galaxy is like the roadies in an industry that promotes studios as rock bands. They do the mundane work while the other groups are the stars.
Lang states that the challenge is to achieve true financial independence. Iron Galaxy still relies on partners to get paid on time. Lang states that freedom is a price for studios like Iron Galaxy. Iron Galaxy has enjoyed a decade of success, as demonstrated by its Nashville expansion. Iron Galaxy has been able to take control of its destiny despite the constant acquisition frenzy.
“I believe people see acquisitions in one direction, when it is actually a two-way road. Microsoft still needs games pass games every time someone is bought. Capcom should publish games. Everyone needs games. With fewer and fewer people who can make them, it is actually extremely valuable to remain independent in an odd way that isn’t really… It’s counterintuitive, right?” Lang says.
“And so, I think we just enjoy being the prettiest person at this ball right now. We are beautiful and do what we love, so we don’t feel any pressure. It’s really cool.”
Kat Bailey is a senior news editor at IGN
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